Perfect Christmas Turkey
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Author:
Cherie Metcalfe
We have taken the impossible and made it possible! For a dish that has forever felt daunting, it turns out it’s easy as. Jump in — moist, delicious and easy to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey (ours was 4.5kg)
- 3 carrots
- 3 stalks celery (optional)
- 2 onions
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 tablespoons Blow My Coals
- 1 teaspoon Man Grind
- 2 oranges
-
Jelly Wrestle cranberry jelly, to serve
Herb Butter
- 100g soft butter
- 2 teaspoons Spit Roast Salt Flakes or salt of your choice
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic or Confit Garlic
Gravy
- 1 ½ cups pan juices
- 1–2 tablespoons cornflour
- 375ml water
- ¼ cup Stock Market or stock powder of your choice
Directions
- If using a frozen turkey, allow it to defrost in the fridge for 1 ½ days and leave it on the bench for 1 hour before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan bake. Ensure the turkey fits in the oven and adjust the shelves so it sits in the middle.
Remove the turkey from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels. In an extra-large oven bag, add chopped carrots, celery, onions, rosemary, and thyme.
Mix the herb butter ingredients and rub it over the turkey. Generously coat with Blow My Coals and sprinkle with Man Grind. Cut the oranges in half and stuff them into the cavity.
Place the turkey in the oven bag and pop it in the oven. For a 4.5kg turkey, aim for 2 ½ hours hours cooking time and 1 hour resting. If using a meat thermometer, check for an internal temperature of 70ºC at the breast.
After cooking, remove the turkey and rest for 1 hour.
For the gravy, snip a corner of the oven bag and put the juices into a pot. Thicken with cornflour as needed.
If more liquid is required, make gravy by whisking water and Stock Market in a saucepan and simmering for a few minutes. Add the pan juices, then thicken with a cornflour slurry and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
Carve the turkey and serve with gravy and Jelly Wrestle.
